Paul Fort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul Fort
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| Born | 1 February 1872 Reims, France |
| Died | 20 April 1960 (aged 88) Montlhéry, France |
| Occupation | Lecturer, poet, playwright |
| Alma mater | Lycée Louis-le-Grand |
| Literary movement | Symbolism, Futurism |
| Notable works | "La Ronde" |
| Notable awards | Prix Lasserre (1936) Grand Prix de Littérature (1956) Chevalier, French Légion d'Honneur |
Jules-Jean-Paul Fort (born February 1, 1872 – died April 20, 1960) was a famous French poet. He was part of the Symbolist movement, which was an art style that used symbols to express ideas and emotions.
When he was just 18, Paul Fort started the Théâtre d'Art (Art Theater) in Paris. He wanted to create a new kind of theater that was different from the popular "Naturalistic" plays of his time. He also helped create and edit important literary magazines like Livre d'Art and Vers et Prose. These magazines published works by other well-known Symbolist writers. Paul Fort wrote a lot of poetry, including over thirty books of ballads. He is also known for creating a special way of writing poetry called "polyphonic prose."
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Paul Fort's Early Life and Career
Paul Fort was born in Reims, France, in 1872. His father worked in insurance, and the family moved to Paris in 1878. While he was in high school at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand, he became a well-known part of the art scene in Montparnasse. He loved spending time with new and experimental artists. He became friends with famous writers like André Gide and Pierre Louÿs.
From 1890 to 1892, he worked on creating new and independent theater plays. After that, he focused on writing poetry, publishing, and helping new writers get noticed. By 1912, he was so respected that he was given the special title "Prince of the Poets" in France. This title is given to very important poets after their predecessor dies.
One of his most famous poems, "La Ronde," is known around the world. It is a beautiful poem that asks for friendship and peace among all people.
Paul Fort passed away on April 20, 1960, in Montlhéry, a town near Paris. He had lived there since 1921. He is buried in the Cimetière de Montlhéry cemetery.
Paul Fort's Theater Work
When Paul Fort was 17, he often visited the Café Voltaire in Paris. This was a popular spot for Symbolist Poets to meet and discuss new ideas about theater. His involvement there even led to him being expelled from high school!
The group wanted to move away from the "Naturalistic" theater style that was popular then. Fort admired some parts of it, but he wanted to create a new theater that combined the best of all styles. He founded a company called The Mixed Theater (Le Théâtre Mixte). It opened on June 23, 1890, and showed a mix of different play styles.
Later, Fort renamed his company The Art Theater (Le Théâtre d'Art). His theater companies didn't have one permanent home. Instead, they used different rented spaces around Paris. Fort worked with leading Symbolist painters to design the sets and backdrops for his plays. These painters included famous artists from the Nabis group.
An important actress named Georgette Camée became a key performer in Fort's theater. She appeared in many plays with the Théâtre d'Art. She even played Mephistopheles in their 1892 French version of Doctor Faustus. She later became famous for her roles in other important Symbolist plays like Pelléas et Mélisande and Axël.
Another actor, Aurélien Lugné-Poe, also joined the Théâtre d'Art. He performed in many plays for Fort, including works by Maurice Maeterlinck. Lugné-Poe and Georgette Camée helped create a unique Symbolist acting style. This style involved special poses and gestures, along with solemn, almost singing, ways of speaking lines.
During the two and a half years Fort led the Théâtre d'Art, they presented poetry readings and old plays by writers like Marlowe and Hugo. They also showed new plays by important Symbolist writers such as Rachilde and Maurice Maeterlinck.
Even though Fort was very ambitious, running the theater was tough. He often went over budget and had trouble with money. By 1892, critics were asking him to make better choices. He tried to produce a famous play called Axël, but it didn't happen. Then, a play by Maeterlinck, Pelléas et Mélisande, was canceled.
This made Fort decide to stop running the theater and focus on his poetry. Lugné-Poe took over the Pelléas et Mélisande project, and it became the first step in starting his own theater company. Even though Fort's theater had its challenges, it was a very important step for new and experimental theater in Europe. It helped lead to the creation of other famous theaters.
Paul Fort: The Poet
After his time in theater, Paul Fort dedicated his life to writing poetry. He published his first poems in a magazine called Mercure de France in 1896. These poems were the start of his famous collection called Ballades françaises, which grew to 17 volumes over many years.
In 1903, he started organizing poetry readings every Tuesday at a place called the Closerie des Lilas. In 1905, he began publishing the magazine Vers et prose with other writers. This magazine featured works by famous poets like Guillaume Apollinaire and Paul Valéry.
Paul Fort was given the high honor of "commandeur de la Légion d'honneur" (Commander of the Legion of Honor). He also helped make the Montparnasse area of Paris famous for its artists and writers. In 1912, a poll of five literary magazines voted him the "Prince of Poets." This meant that 350 authors saw him as the true successor to great poets like Verlaine and Mallarmé.
In August 1913, his sixteen-year-old daughter, Jeanne, married the Futurist painter Gino Severini. Paul Fort led the wedding ceremony. Famous writers like Guillaume Apollinaire and Filippo Tommaso Marinetti were witnesses.
Later Life and Recognition
Paul Fort was a main judge for the Prix Jeunesse, a literary prize created in 1934. In 1943, he tried to join the Académie Goncourt, a famous French literary group, but he lost to another writer.
During World War II, his work was temporarily banned by a resistance group, but this ban was soon lifted. He officially regained recognition in 1954 when an exhibition about him was held at the Carnegie Library in Reims.
In 1956, Paul Fort married Germaine Pouget. He was buried on his own property in Montlhéry.
Paul Fort in Other Works
The famous writer Ernest Hemingway mentioned Paul Fort in his book A Moveable Feast. Hemingway wrote that Fort was a customer at La Closerie des Lilas, a well-known cafe in Paris.
See also
In Spanish: Paul Fort para niños
